Siege Of Lleida (1149)

The siege of Lleida (Lérida, Lārida) by a Catalan army led by Count Ramon Berenguer IV of Barcelona lasted from the spring of 1149 until 24 October, when the Almoravid garrison surrendered on terms, which also included the surrender of the nearby towns of Fraga and Mequinenza (Miknāsa).

Primary sources

Although strategically significant, the capture of Lleida drew less attention than the siege of Tortosa, which involved international contingents as part of the Second Crusade. At least one later source does, however, treat the 1149 siege as a crusade, attributing the victory "to the faith and worship of our Lord Jesus Christ". In fact, the campaign of 1149 was "part of the continuum of armed conflict with Muslims" along the frontier and thus a matter of primarily local interest, although papal policy clearly admitted of spiritual benefits to participants.

No detailed contemporary account of the siege survives. They are mentioned in several chronicles. The ' date the fall of Lleida and Fraga to the ninth kalends of November (i.e., 24 October) of the Era 1187, AD 1149. and note. The ' agrees, but the ' misdates the event to the ninth kalends of October, which is 23 September. The fall of Mequinenza is mentioned in the '' Anales Toledanos primeros''. In addition to the chronicles, several surviving documents are dated by the siege, showing that the count of Barcelona was present throughout.

Siege

Planning

Preparations for the conquest of Lleida began in 1148. With the conquest of Tortosa, it formed a single concerted campaign spread across two years. Much of the planning involved the disposition of lands in and around Lleida among the leaders of the army. The Lleidan castles of Montagut, Alcarràs, Soses, , Aitona, , Seròs, Alguaire, Almenar or Alcoletge were all allocated before the conquest.

In accordance with an agreement reached at the siege of Tortosa in 1148, Count Ermengol VI of Urgell took part in the campaign against Lleida in return for a third of the conquered territory. The local Templars were granted one fifth. These rewards continued throughout the siege itself, as when Ponç de Santa Fe received the tower of Avincedel, its appurtenances and some houses in the city.

In July 1149, Ramon Berenguer made peace with Kingdom of Navarre, so as to forestall.

Operations

In late March or early April 1149, Ramon Berenguer laid siege to the city of Lleida. He probably made his camp in . His army consisted of knights drawn from both Catalonia and his fiancée's kingdom of Aragon. He also received assistance from the Templars of Monzón, whose militia may have made up the majority of the army. Nicholas Breakspear, abbot of Saint-Ruf and the future Pope Adrian IV, was present at the siege.

Lleida was defended by its ''wālī'', al-Muẓāffar ibn Sulaymān, who may have belonged to the Banū Hūd. The duration of the siege indicates that there was serious resistance and heavy combat. Lleida itself "must have been half-destroyed". The final resistance of the garrison of Lleida took place in the citadel or ''suda''. The city was captured on 24 October 1149. On the same day as Lleida surrendered, the towns of Fraga and Mequinenza capitulated on the same terms.

Result

The Muslim inhabitants of Lleida were granted the same terms as those of Tortosa the previous year and those of Zaragoza in 1118. This was a contract that stipulated that the Muslims would hand over the mosque and move outside the town walls but otherwise retain their rights and communal autonomy. In January 1150, Ramon Berenguer IV and Ermengol granted ''fueros'' to Lleida. Ramon Berenguer took the title marquis of Lleida and, acting as sovereign, granted the city to Ermengol in fief. Other castles in the conquered territory included Alguaire, Albesa, Almenar, Algerri and Alfarràs.. A map of the "marquisate" of Lleida can be found on p. 230. The enfeoffment of Ermengol fulfilled the agreement reached in 1148.

Notes

Works cited

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

Further reading

*
*
*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lleida 1149
Lleida
1149 in Europe
Conflicts in 1149
Sieges of the Reconquista
12th century in al-Andalus
Sieges involving the Almoravid Empire
Military history of Catalonia
County of Barcelona
Attacks on military installations in Spain